Death Poems of a Thousand Warriors
Contents
Death Poems of a Thousand Warriors
An anthology of poems found on the bodies of slain warriors from many historical battles, compiled by the Lutrani scholar glynren_fengeiros. Writing such a poem right before you think you might die, expressing your final thoughts, is an ancient tradition in many parts of Jesenreth. The poems in this collection range from the mournful to the humorous to the scatological.
Some sample poems, translated by Gary Wilkens:
Unknown Warrior
No speeches! How can\\ a man die making speeches?\\ Just the grass, river,\\ mountain and tree. This is no\\ damn poem. Now I’m a rock.\\
In forty-nine days\\ I will return to this world.\\ See to it, dear wife,\\ that my shoes stay by the door\\ and our wedding bed stays cold.\\
Tresani, wife and warrior of Clym Dranea, General of Weshea
Clym we could have had\\ a house in the country\\ and books to fill its rooms.\\ I hold tight your broken hand,\\ wishing our dark blood away.\\
Unknown Mercenary of Itrefaulk
Twenty years I’ve been\\ a beaten dog in the rain.\\ A dog with a sword.\\ Burning rain drops ceaselessly\\ and puddles crowd with iris.\\
